Did I mention that she bought her dress at Goodwill? It's stunning!!
On Saturday morning, Darin and I packed up our gear and drove to Niota, TN, east of Chattanooga. Nikki and Dan were so gracious to bring us on as their wedding photographers, so I was both excited and nervous about they day. Thankfully it was a small and intimate wedding which made things much easier on my nerves, and not to mention that Nikki is just an absolutely wonderful person to begin with. The weeks leading up to their big day I've spent some time watching Creative Live which was broadcasting 30 Day of Wedding Photography. I was brimming with ideas of what to do and how to capture my images. Nikki and Dan chose Springbrook Golf and Country Club for both their ceremony and reception. We hit the ground running as soon as we arrived. Nikki was already on her way getting her hair done, and Dan was en-route with his son, Adrian. The two of us split up and headed off on our tasks. I was going to starting working with Nikki and the bridal details, and Darin was working on getting all of the wedding details. Everyone was in such high spirits that day and the energy was just buzzing, especially with the mother of the bride, Cathy.
As the ceremony began to get underway, I was blown away by the beauty and simplicity of it all. Dan and Nikki has chosen to be married without the aid of a wedding part, and wrote their own vows. The whole ceremony was very lovely, personalized, and full of feelings. I know that the two of them will live up to their vows.
After the family formals Nikki, Dan, and I headed outside to capture their first portraits as husband and wife. Nikki is so spunky and knows how to be beautiful and work the camera at the same time. Dan is a very lucky man. It was overcast and a little windy, but we we able to get their images and head back inside for the reception.
Have I mentioned that Nikki is fun and awesome? She was out on the dance floor almost the entire time, whether is was slow dancing with Dan or dancing the Cha Cha Slide with those who were brave enough to step on the dance floor with the bride. Darin was fantastic as my second shooter and assistant, and I couldn't have picked a better partner to work with. All in all it was incredible day, and I was happy to be there for the two of them as the photographer, but more importantly as their friend. I wish them only the best for the rest of their days.
